Recently a representative of Hartley Botanic asked if I would be interested in hosting a guest post. Since I knew of the beautiful designs for the Hartley collection of greenhouses I suggested she put together a post about how to choose a greenhouse. And here it is!

You would think that a greenhouse is an easy purchase, and that all your really need is a green box with glass windows. Right? Well you would actually be surprised how many options are available and how finding the right one can play a vital part in the growing process.

The questions you need to ask yourself are:

How much room can I provide for the greenhouse?

What am I most likely to grow?

Where will I position it?

Just like with many other things in life there are maintenance and running costs attached to owning a greenhouse. Running costs differ according to light transmission and the size and shape.

What are the choices?

Most greenhouse are octagonal or lean- to with a slanted roof. However you can find something a tailored to suit your needs, whether it is practicality or style. Listed below are a collection of greenhouses that are currently on the market, feel free to read and gain inspiration for your garden growing area.

Patio greenhouse
The Patio Glasshouse is ideal for a smaller garden and is designed to fit neatly onto your patio area, balcony or roof top garden. It is ideal for young, amateur gardeners that enjoy growing their own plant’s or even the eventual for urban growers. There are many designs available in this particular glasshouse and they can be tailored to suit your own taste. These greenhouses/glasshouses are usually made from aluminium and tough safety glass.

Cottage greenhouse
If you are tall and require more space this would be the greenhouse it's the most spacious of all green houses in its class. This greenhouse includes a centre-split sliding door which gives the option to stretch it from less than 8ft, to almost 25ft. The greenhouse looks traditional and it's not short on quality features such as high ridge openers to ensure effective ventilation.

Grow and Store
Are you looking for a storage space as well as a growing area? Well this greenhouse is definitely for you. The Grow and store combines a traditional greenhouse with a modern store room to hold your essential gardening tools and equipment. The Grow and Store is available in any length, and a width of 8’2” (2489mm). You will need a larger space for this type of greenhouse but it does give you that extra storage space.

The Traditional Plant House

Greenhouses tend to look the same and provide keen gardeners with the right environment for plants, fruit and vegetable. However, if you want something with more style and a less modernization the traditional plant house may just tick the right boxes. The greenhouse is assembled on a single skin brick wall, making it appear traditional and ornate.

Contemporary greenhouse
If you are looking for a contemporary greenhouse which fits the theme of a modernized garden then the Vista greenhouse is a good choice. The modern curved roof top enables a more compact growing area and will enable you to fit it into a garden small or large.The Vista is uniquely manufactured from rolled BS aluminum and glazed with toughened safety glass.

It is worth spending a little time shopping around and researching the greenhouses available on the market. Some could save you more money than others and if you are new to the gardening world, you may only need a small area to start growing before you progress onto bigger and more adventurous challenges.

Editor's Note: Please note that Hartley Botanic does business in the U.S. as well as Europe and the greenhouse models above may not be available in all countries. But they are still very cool to look at!